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Inside The King’s Cross Clock Tower

The two towers. Legend has it that, in the days before time was standardised across Britain, the two clocks were set to different times to reflect the timetables of rival operators.

The two towers. Legend has it that, in the days before time was standardised across Britain, the two clocks were set to different times to reflect the timetables of rival operators.Stairs leading up to the clock. This space is reminiscent of a church belfry.The clock-less northern face of the tower.Looking north along the station roof. The crappy yellow perspex has been replaced with clear glass, and photovoltaic cells, generating 10% of the station’s power, line the top.King’s Cross roof, looking north-east towards Cally Road.Workers hoisting a flagpole on the western end of the station. The cranes of the Francis Crick Institute loom behind St Pancras.King’s Cross Square nears completion.A view of the notorious King’s Cross road junction, and the ‘lighthouse block’, itself undergoing redevelopment.Looking down on the colourful Megaro Hotel.Behind the clock face.Close up of the clock machinery, such as it is.A quick look inside the Eastern Range (the long block between York Way and Platform 0). This elegant staircase is the most striking feature.

The four-year reinvigoration of King’s Cross station has reached endgame. The new, and spectacular, western concourse has been open for over a year; the platforms are less cluttered, with a new photovoltaic roof, and a replacement bridge; the hideous green canopy obscuring the front of the station is gone forever; and workers are close to finishing King’s Cross Square — the new open space fronting Euston Road. This grand project terminates here.

Having toured the site during the beginning and middle of this epic transformation, we were yesterday invited back by Network Rail to witness the epilogue. In particular, we were treated to a tour of the station’s famous clock tower.

The vantage point, accessed through a small door on the concourse, offers excellent views of both the vast platform roof and the nascent Square below. The clock itself can only be described as minimalist. Rather than employing a mechanism of cogs, gears and weights, it’s now controlled by a tiny electrical box that prompts the hands to move.

Click through the gallery above for a photo-tour of the tower.

A lucky few will also get to tour the tower (weather permitting) and other aspects of the station during Open House weekend. Two major events — the King’s Cross Carnival and King’s Cross Journeys, will also take place over the same weekend. More on those (and Open House) next week.

London Reconnections also toured the site around a year ago, when the green canopy was still in place.